Saviour
by olarst
Summary: Harry Potter ran away at the age of nine from the Dursleys, and he ended up near Spinner's End. Severus Snape was taking a walk during the evening when he finds a boy with black hair in an alleyway. When the two meet, how will a man with past prejudices and an abused boy filled with hopefulness at the chance to have an actual guardian come together to become a family?


**SAVIOUR**

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><p><strong>AN: This story was originally posted on my Archive of Our Own account, and I'm re-posting it here, but I will be changing things as I go along.**

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><p><em>"And I find it kinda funny<em>  
><em>I find it kinda sad<em>  
><em>The dreams in which I'm dying<em>  
><em>Are the best I've ever had<em>  
><em>I find it hard to tell you<em>  
><em>I find it hard to take<em>  
><em>When people run in circles<em>  
><em>It's a very, very mad world"<em>

_Mad World by Gary Jules_

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><p><em>Prologue: Mad World<em>

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><p><strong>June 30, 1990<strong>

He didn't know where he was going, truthfully, but he did know that he was going to get away from that horrible place he had never called home. He ran past different houses, with lights on and off and window curtains either parted or not. He could see one where a family was sitting down to watch a show on the television and the boy wished he could have something like that. Of course, it wasn't to be.

He didn't bring anything with him when he left, which now in hindsight, was a bad idea. He was wearing the tattered and bloodied clothes from the last beating a few days ago. He had only barely survived, and decided to escape instead of facing death the next time.

The running was one of his more brighter ideas, and he knew that anywhere would be more safe than trying to stay at a home where he was abused. He turned his head and just managed to catch part of a sign that said, '_Welcome to Spinner's End_.' He didn't know where that was, but he felt a bit more safe.

The neighbourhood looked slightly rundown, and it was a stark contrast to the place he had lived all his life. In Privet Drive, the houses were all perfect and everybody looked wealthy, like they were in the upper class. He didn't know why, but he felt like this neighbourhood was more human.

He soon found himself getting tired, and tried to look for a place to rest. He didn't want to rest in the open, on the off chance that Vernon would come looking. After about an estimated ten minutes of searching, Harry Potter found an alleyway to rest in. His last thought before becoming claimed by sleep, was that he hoped somebody would come and take him away.

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><p>Vernon Dursley was a very angry man. His face had turned purple, his hands were balled into fists, and he was kicking all the furniture. His wife, Petunia Dursley, and son, Dudley Dursley, were both in the kitchen, trying to steer clear of his anger.<p>

They all knew why the man was angry - the 'freak', as Vernon liked to call him, wasn't home when they got back. Vernon would definitely miss his little play toy, and would eventually go off on his son and wife. Petunia knew this very well, as she remembered what would happen before the Potter boy came along.

Vernon would come home drunk, stumble up the staircase, and take advantage of her. At least, he had taken the precaution of shutting the door, less chance of Dudley hearing.

Still, the Dursley family knew they were in for a rough time for the next while.

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><p>Severus Snape was currently taking a walk around his old neighbourhood. It was almost completely sundown at this point in time, but that didn't phase the man. If it got too dark, he had his wand. For the past three weeks or so, it had become common practice for the residents of Spinner's End to see the man walking around. He didn't know why he had begun to do it, but a long time later, he would reflect on this night and be glad that he had done it.<p>

He was planning to walk another half mile, then turn around and head home. He would, at this time, make himself a cup of tea and then have a peaceful sleep. At least that was his plan, until he happened to walk by a certain alleyway. He heard a sniffle like a child with a cold, and stopped himself in his tracks.

He knew that there were no homes in the vicinity, and knew it wouldn't be coming from the open bedroom window of a small child. He also knew he wasn't imagining it. He would be able to tell. So, against his better judgement, Severus Snape walked into the alleyway, with a dim light coming from his outstretched wand.

Severus didn't know what he had expected to find, but it wasn't a child with bloodied over-sized clothes, glasses with Scotch tape on them, and jet-black hair with a lightning scar. He nearly fell as he realized that he was staring at the child of his most hated enemy, Harry Potter.

The first thing that Severus thought was: '_This is James Potter's son, why am I even still here?_'

He scoffed quietly. The boy had probably done something dumb and run away. Yes, that had to be it. And as he turned to leave, not even planning to try and help the boy in the tattered over-sized clothing, he heard another voice in his mind, that sounded exactly like one he would never hear again.

_'But the boy seems to be extremely injured, Severus, why wouldn't you try to help him? How would you feel, knowing you left a child to die, even if it was James'?'_

The voice sounded like Lily's, and he realized in that instance that it wasn't just Potter's son lying there like a broken toy, it was also Lily's son. With a shaking breath, and a curse to his obviously demented mind, he turned around and walked back to the frail boy in the alleyway. Casting a spell to keep him asleep through the ordeal, Severus picked the boy up gently, and made sure that he wasn't hurting the boy.

The boy almost immediately snuggled into his embrace, and after making sure he was comfortable, and that they wouldn't be seen, he began walking towards his home.

Severus Snape seemed to realize that he wouldn't be able to warm up to the boy right away, even if he was possibly abused and carrying him now. However, in that moment, all he knew was he had the life of a boy in his hands, one that he was determined to protect, no matter what the cost.

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><p><strong>AN: More chapters coming soon! Please read and review. Thanks guys!**

**-Olarst**


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